In taking a look back at krip-hop music and culture in 2016, the Amoeblog invited regular contributor Leroy Moore, the founder of Krip-Hop Nation [pictured above], to draw up his Top Ten Best and Worst Moments of Krip-Hop in 2016. That list below was assembled by ever busy artist/activist from his Berkeley CA home/office right before heading off to South Africa this week (Dec. 1st) for a Krip-Hop Tour. In looking back over the past year, one in which a certain president elect publicly mocked people with disabilities and in which civil rights overall seemed to take a step backwards, Leroy noted that despite continued obstacles and setbacks that, "Krip-Hop Nation in 2016 continued to plant seeds both internationally and here in the U.S. through interviews, and projects." Leroy further stressed how he and fellow members of Krip-Hop Nation monitored mainstream hip-hop and continually, "called out artists on their ableism." [discrimination against those with disabilities]

Top Ten Best and Worst Moments of Krip-Hop in 2016 by Leroy Moore

1) The film documentary with Emmitt Thrower, Where Is Hope, Police Brutality and Profiling Against People With Disabilities came out in January of 2016 after which we did a whole Bay Area tour of screenings of the film.

2) Krip-Hop Nation was very excited to interview one of the forefathers of Hip-Hop journalism, Kevin Powell who said such things in the interview as "You rarely, if ever, hear about Black, disabled brothers and their encounters with the police out there how they are harass and brutalize. You know what I say to the brothers in the disabled community is that it’s so important that you all tell your stories and find allies. Like I’m an ally and others who will also put it out there for you."

3) One of Krip-Hop new and ongoing project is Hip-Hop For Disability Justice Campaign with activist / turntable artist DJ Kuttin Kandi in which the Hip-Hop community and members of Krip-Hop Nation are calling for an end to ableism. We are asking for Hip-Hop artists, Hip-Hop fans/lovers, scholars, journalists, educators, activists and our overall community to center people with disabilities and join us in the Hip Hop for Disability Justice Campaign.

4) In 2016 Krip-Hop Nation teamed up with Lisa Ganser (above) and Vita Eye Cleveland (below) to
begin working on an all women Krip-Hop CD, to be released in 2017.

5) What has been exciting to see over this past year of 2016 is that more and more Hip-Hop artists are coming out and making songs about mental health. These includedRun-D.M.C.’s Darryl "DMC" McDanielswho, with the July publication of his memoir Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide, broke down his mental health battles with depression plus tackling such topics as dealing with the stigma of going to therapy as a black man. Another was just last month with Kid Cudi announcing via social media that he was checking himself into rehab for suicidal thoughts and depression.

6) Among the negatives of 2016 included popular Hip-Hop artists still doing ablest shit. These included50 Cent[pictured above on album art of his 2009 release Before I Self Destruct] bullying an autistic airport worker by video-taping him, verbally teasing and taunting him, and then posting the offending video to YouTube. But get this, his apology was to give $10,000.00 to an organization that has no respect to activists with autism, and gets much donations that goes toward their work that is set in the medical model, AKA erasing the voices of autistic people. More recently in 2016, Drakelast month was guilty of ableism by making fun of the aforementioned (#5) rapper Kid Cudi’s admission of his mental health disability.

7) Krip-Hop Nation is so proud of both Denver, CO's Wheelchair Sports Camp featuring Kalyn Heffernan, and the Father of DIP-HOP (Deaf Hop) WAWA for both releasing full albums in 2016: WAWA's Deaf: So What?! and Wheelchair Sports Camp's No Big Deal on Strange Famous.

8) Another ground breaking interview was with Brazilian disabled Hip-Hop artist, Billy Saga. Next year we will be talking about the possibility of a Krip-Hop Nation tour in Sau Paulo, Brazil.

9) Krip-Hop Nation in conjunction with Naru Kwina are almost ready to put out an animated film about "Blind" Joe Capers and how he changed the Oakland music scene in the 1980’s. The decision to make it an all animated film came about in 2016 when we connected with Bay Area illustrator and animator Allah El Henson to begin the process which will be completed by 2017. Naru is pictured above left with Joe Caper's daughter Keke and D'Wayne Wiggins at an event in Oakland celebrating Capers' legacy.

10) About the time you read this Best of 2016 list, Krip-Hop Nation will be beginning its December 2016 South Africa Tour connecting with African disabled artists in all genres, music, visual artists, writers, poets, & musicians, and hitting four to six cities in South Africa.